The sense of discovery is part of the uneven quality of the displays, from charmingly homemade to breathtakingly adept – school groups, community groups and big corporations all contribute their best efforts. Some lanterns are a few feet high, others tower 30 and 40 feet into the air. You can walk under a bow of giant blooms, feeling like an extra in A Bug’s Life, or make a wish beneath a giant headdress of Matsu, the sea goddess worshipped in both the Taoist and Buddhist tradition.